Interview with Meghann Wright

We met Meghann Wright at the Mansfield, Massachusetts date of this year’s Vans Warped Tour, where the singer/songwriter has spent the entirety of the summer. Wright describes her sound as “sad bastard music,” and she just released her debut full-length album Nothing Left to Lose via Blacktop Records in June. She brought us up to speed on her move to the east coast, her new album, and helped us set the record straight about the myth that is Hawaiian pizza, since she is originally from Makaha, after all.

The Daily Slice: Could you tell us a bit about where you’re from and where we could get the best slice of pizza there?

Meghann Wright: Well, I’m originally from Hawaii, but I currently live in Brooklyn, and there are many, many great places to get pizza in Brooklyn. I’m sure some people will give me a little flack for this, but one of my favorite places to get pizza is Anna Maria in Williamsburg, because whenever we go out partying over there, they always have the best pizza late at night.

TDS: Since you’re from Hawaii, do people ask you about Hawaiian pizza a lot? It’s not really a thing there, is it?

MW: No, I don’t really know who coined that term. I think it’s just because it has ham and pineapple. In Hawaii, we eat a lot of pork, sort of a variation of pulled pork where it’s cooked and then ground. But, the pineapple thing, that’s weird too because pineapples aren’t even from Hawaii. Pineapples were brought over to be farmed on these huge plantations in Hawaii and we don’t even do a lot of that anymore. Now it’s more in South America. But, I mean, ham and pineapple pizza is delicious. But yeah, it’s not really Hawaiian.

TDS: How did you decide to move all the way from Hawaii to New York? That seems like a big move.

MW: The reason why I wanted to be in New York is because I wanted to take my musical career very seriously, and if you’re going to do that, it’s best to go to a hub like Nashville, LA, or New York, and I chose New York because I love the northeast, and I went to college up here, and a lot of my friends are from here, so it just made a lot of sense.

TDS: So since it’s your first year on Warped Tour, we want to know, is it what you expected? Any surprises so far?

MW: Luckily, I have a lot of friends who have done the tour before, so I was deeply debriefed about what to expect, but of course there’s going to be variables that nobody else has had to encounter. But yeah, it’s tough, it’s challenging, you’re in a different city every day, you’re playing for people who have never heard of you before, the weather is a huge factor. There’s been a few times where people’s sets have got cut because when the lightning starts hitting, you have to cut all the power, because it’s dangerous. Luckily, everyone is really helpful, production staff is amazing, they’ve been doing this for 21 years now. All of the artists and everybody else, there’s a great sense of camaraderie between everyone so you never feel that lonely and out of it. Somebody is always there to be by your side.

TDS: That’s really great that Warped Tour has a built-in support system like that, even for first-year artists. What was the best piece of advice you received before the summer started?

MW: Get plenty of rest and take very good care of yourself, otherwise you won’t make it.

TDS: What’s something you absolutely must have with you when you go out on a long-term tour like this?

MW: I have a little bag of trinkets and little mementos that people have given me through my travels, and I like to look at those from time to time. They’re just funny, weird little things like stones, or little dinosaurs, or little funny things that people I care about have given me, so I like that.

TDS: Is there anywhere that you’re especially excited to visit on the second half of the tour?

MW: I’m really excited for the show in Toronto because that’s where my label [Blacktop Records] is based out of so that should be a fun day.

TDS: What plans do you have after Warped comes to an end?

MW: Well, I just released my first full-length on June 30th, Nothing Left to Lose, on Blacktop Records, so there won’t be any releases in the near future, probably not until next year. But I’m always doing my Covering America series, which you can check out on my YouTube, where I cover a song by a band from every city that I hit on tour. So you can check those out. But as far as touring and releases, right now, I’m just looking forward to having a little bit of a rest after Warped Tour.

TDS: For sure, that’s definitely important. How’s the response to your new album been so far?

MW: It’s been nothing but positive, honestly. I haven’t gotten a single bad review, so I’m really excited about that.

TDS: Is there anything else you want first-time listeners to know about you?